dshnarw BIOTOPE

[PurpleUP]

Beautiful Monti. It looks happy and I can still make out the colors. I know what you mean about cameras not being able to pick up the same things as the naked eye, at least not the camera I use anyway.

[Needreefunds]

That's funny about the clown goby's re appearance in the display.

Certainly a well deserved name as well.

 

Sweet kiwi, looks a bit like Sponge Bob.

 

Good luck with the new additions.

[c est ma]

Thanks Diane. I would except I would only be able to add pics when I had my roomies camera and it took her over a month of reminders before she got it from her fiance this last time. Maybe after Daniel and I get married and I can borrow his camera or I get a new one I will set up a tank thread (hoping to be able to do a tank up grade then as well since I won't have to move it all by myself anymore or so constantly). I'm hoping though that I will be able to at least borrow it once more before the end of the semester so I can get a pic of the new inhabitants that I am hopefully going to pick up tomorrow. I've been trying to find this fish for forever.

 

 

Well, then, I'll just keep looking for you here, then. And on my fungiid thread, of course!

 

I can't wait to see or at least hear more about your fish!

 

Daniel, nice update. Looking forward to more pics from you, too. Sweet monti.

 

--Diane

[arwndsh]

Well, then, I'll just keep looking for you here, then. And on my fungiid thread, of course!

 

I can't wait to see or at least hear more about your fish!

 

Daniel, nice update. Looking forward to more pics from you, too. Sweet monti.

 

--Diane

 

Well I wish I could tell you more about the fish, but I didn't get it. I called twice yesterday to make sure they had it before I made the hour long trip. The first time the girl that answered really had no idea what I was talking about so she told me to call back later and ask for the saltwater manager. So I did, but while I was on hold for him someone else picked up so I asked her. She went and looked, came back and said they had two so I asked her to place one on hold for me. Get there today and after waiting twenty minutes for someone to come help me only to find out that they really didn't have it. URGG!! Well after the guy searched all through the sand for it I asked him what wholesaler they got it from so I could tell me LFS where to look. He went off to look only to come back to tell me that the "saltwater manager" said it should be in there and that he was going to come look. I know what the fish looks like it wasn't in there. So he messes around in the tank for awhile and finally agrees that its not in there, but never tells me where they got it from. All they where willing to do was "order" me one. I told them no thank you and left. The only reason I went there for it in the first place was because they said they had one. Their service is always slow and its just too long to drive with gas prices the way they are for just a fish. URG!!! I'm going to give my LFS a little bit longer and if they still haven't found one by the time Daniel and I get married I'll just wait until I get up there so I have more places that could look for me like Mr. Coral.

[c est ma]

Amber, that's really rotten! Sorry you went out of your way for such jerks. If your lfs doesn't come through, have a decent one order it for you.

 

--Diane

[dshnarw]

Got the camera working again, so a few more pics...

 

Another shot of the new monti, somewhat better this time:

 

This brain is about to go up for sale on the local forums, if I can figure out what to ask for it(?). It's about the size of my hand, maybe bigger when fully open, so I don't have enough room for it anymore. Besides that, I only got it to give it a chance of recovering, which it's done nicely. Wish I had before/after pics. It was bleached and half the skeleton was exposed, then had a mishap that nearly cut it in half (only the mouth holding it together).

 

My brown monti digi has gotten a nice purple base, and is growing incredibly fast:

 

Some of the zoanthids, can't convince them to spread though:

 

Pink plate has grown, which I can only tell because it's becoming more asymmetrical:

 

Hermit nem:

 

The other green brain:

 

A couple of cross-tank shots from the left side of the tank:

 

One shot that captured the wrasse:

 

And Little Houdini, on his favorite perch:

[jeremai]

Purdy.

[dshnarw]

So I was trying to take pics, and the lights went out while the timer was set...and actually ended up with a couple of okay nighttime shots with the moonlights on. Apparently, you have to give it enough light to focus through the first shot on the timer, then move the light away for the second shot. Makes no sense, but it's much better than all my previous attempts combined, but I still gotta figure out the weird pixel noise (see the Adin red pic...) and the odd white spots.

 

Anyway - here's the first few I tried:

 

Halomitra

 

Hermit nem

 

Red/yellow maxi carpet

 

Adin red maxi carpet

 

Brain

[arwndsh]

Better than what I could do . They look good sweety.

[Amerijuanican]

haha... I just made a post for a 20L tank that I'm doing as a "lagoon" biotope and I was all like, "I'm not too sure if this has ever been done in a tank this small before"... I guess you beat me to it. The links helped me out a lot as far as stocking and I'll be tagging along here for sure.

[c est ma]

Wow, Daniel, what a couple of sets of wonderful pics! I don't exactly understand what you're saying about taking the night shots, but they sure turned out nice. I was thinking the hermit nem looked so cool in the lighted pic, and then it turns out to have such cool patterning and colors with the moonlight! Wow!

 

I really like the "cross tank" shots--what lovely, natural-looking contrasts between the macros and the corals and the other forms...

 

Boy, judging by the adjacent clown goby, that wrasse is fairly small, isn't it? What a great-looking fish! And I love the story of Houdini. How on earth did he get back into your tank? BTW, I've recently learned that all Gobiodon species have facultative sex determination--ever think of getting Houdini a little buddy?

 

--Diane

[dshnarw]

haha... I just made a post for a 20L tank that I'm doing as a "lagoon" biotope and I was all like, "I'm not too sure if this has ever been done in a tank this small before"... I guess you beat me to it. The links helped me out a lot as far as stocking and I'll be tagging along here for sure.

 

I did come across your thread once, but I didn't get a chance to post in it, had to run somewhere or something. Glad to have another biotopist in the crowd.

 

Wow, Daniel, what a couple of sets of wonderful pics! I don't exactly understand what you're saying about taking the night shots, but they sure turned out nice. I was thinking the hermit nem looked so cool in the lighted pic, and then it turns out to have such cool patterning and colors with the moonlight! Wow!

 

I really like the "cross tank" shots--what lovely, natural-looking contrasts between the macros and the corals and the other forms...

 

Boy, judging by the adjacent clown goby, that wrasse is fairly small, isn't it? What a great-looking fish! And I love the story of Houdini. How on earth did he get back into your tank? BTW, I've recently learned that all Gobiodon species have facultative sex determination--ever think of getting Houdini a little buddy?

 

--Diane

 

Thanks Diane.

 

One of the downfalls of my camera (HP Photosmart 945) is that night shots have never worked, even with all the settings correct. With the moonlight, they just turn out completely blue (and I've attempted this tens of times now, with the same results). I just happened to have the timer set for the camera, which takes two shots, and happened to move the moonlights away from the subject during the first shot. So the first shot came out blue, but the second shot is the Halomitra under the moonlights. I tried it again on the other stuff, and it keeps working. I'll post a first shot vs. second shot comparison tonight to give you a better idea.

 

The wrasse is still a juvi - still has all three eyespots and no pink or green markings on the face/fins, so yeah, he's still pretty small. It'll be cool to see the color change over time...haven't had that experience in the tank before.

 

Houdini actually had a friend, back when it was a 15g. But his friend wasn't too bright, and sat on a maxi So now I'm waiting until I can move him to the 12g (anemone free) before I try again. But that has to wait until I get the T5 setup for this tank, so I can put the 70w MH system back on the 12g tank.

[Weetabix7]

It looks like you have the same wrasse I just got.

I wasn't aware that they changed color, do you have a link with that info?

[dshnarw]

It looks like you have the same wrasse I just got.

I wasn't aware that they changed color, do you have a link with that info?

 

Yep - same one For much the same reason - it's good protection.

 

I couldn't find the source for the exact one on H. chrysus, but this link has some general info on wrasses: http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/H/Halichoeres_chrysus.asp

 

Basically, most of them change both color and sex as they mature, from basically unsexed individuals, to male or female at maturity, and "super-males" if they become the dominant fish. For H. chrysus, it means losing one eyespot at maturity, and adding some green/pink coloring on the fins and face, then losing a second eyespot and the green/pink becoming brighter as a super-male.

 

so...the progression is:

 

unsexed:

 

female/male:

 

super-male:

[Amerijuanican]

haha... I've been wanting to do a lagoon biotope since I was first introduced to the hobby... I don't know why, I'm just fascinated by them.

 

Also, what are you using for flow? I'm just going to do a simple HOB fuge and maybe 2 Koralia 1's or maybe a 1 and a nano.

[jeremai]

Basically, most of them change both color and sex as they mature, from basically unsexed individuals, to male or female at maturity, and "super-males" if they become the dominant fish. For H. chrysus, it means losing one eyespot at maturity, and adding some green/pink coloring on the fins and face, then losing a second eyespot and the green/pink becoming brighter as a super-male.

I thought the change to super male could only occur if there was a harem. It's the dominance that forces the change, right? If the wrasse is kept by itself, won't it stay in its basic male/female stage?

[abe]

Beautiful Monti. It looks happy and I can still make out the colors. I know what you mean about cameras not being able to pick up the same things as the naked eye, at least not the camera I use anyway.

yeah, i can never quite get the same color in my pictures, and i'm using my dad's EOS 1D.

[dshnarw]

haha... I've been wanting to do a lagoon biotope since I was first introduced to the hobby... I don't know why, I'm just fascinated by them.

 

Also, what are you using for flow? I'm just going to do a simple HOB fuge and maybe 2 Koralia 1's or maybe a 1 and a nano.

 

I'm running a 600gph closed loop, into a spray bar with 6 1/2" returns that cuts the flow to barely noticeable (hiding behind the rockwork), along with 500gph through the sump into the split returns on either end of the tank. The closed loop does a good job of keeping detritus out of the back and in suspension, but nothing for the overall flow of the tank. The sump returns are my attempt at "en masse" flow in the tank - the theory being that the more water I can entrain into the stream from the return, the less water volume has to actually go through the pump to get flow through the entire system. So far, it's worked fairly well. Still have one area where detritus settles more than I'd like - front left, near the clam - but it also provides the slower flow the clam seems to prefer.

 

One of the main system designs was to eliminate powerheads in the display, for both the aesthetics and the anemones...that many anemones, and they're bound to walk into one at some point.

 

So I guess, technically speaking, it's a high flow system, but in reality, it's fairly low flow. I'd like to add a bit more flow in the closed loop to encourage more flow around the rock structure and see if it helps SPS growth any, but that'll have to wait for a while since all my extra funds are going towards the honeymoon...

 

I thought the change to super male could only occur if there was a harem. It's the dominance that forces the change, right? If the wrasse is kept by itself, won't it stay in its basic male/female stage?

 

I think so, based on their social structure, but I haven't found any papers that have tested a single fish. All the papers I've seen so far (this has only been over the last week or so, mind you) deal with strictly the social aspect of the change - replacing a fish in the harem, removing the dominant fish in the harem. Would be interesting to see a scientific paper covering that aspect...although I'm sure there's plenty of hobbyist experience out there somewhere.

[dshnarw]

This pic is for Diane - this is how every night pic comes out with the camera, with all the settings correct, without going through the moving the light routine (this is on the better side of things...most are much bluer:

 

 

notsogood...

 

 

BUT!!! THATS OKAY NOW!!!

 

I HAS NEW CAMERA

 

I've only had it for a few hours now, so still at the bottom end of the learning curve, but this is what I have so far:

 

adin red maxi (x3):

 

nice macroalgae, aiptasia is (hopefully) dead after another kalk attack

 

Houdini's perch:

 

brain:

 

sargassum:

 

green digi:

 

clam:

 

baby torch frags:

 

purple-tip monti wall:

 

poor attempt at artsy:

[PurpleUP]

Nice pics. I like the monti wall. I wish my tank was large enough for a wrasse. (sigh)

[adinsxq]

when you're ready... i have a RED one. that one's brown

[dshnarw]

Nice pics. I like the monti wall. I wish my tank was large enough for a wrasse. (sigh)

 

Thanks...Monti wall has been useful. Has kept the Heteractis at bay pretty well, and growing very fast. I'm not completely convinced this tank will be big enough for the wrasse as an adult - it's already flying across the tank, picking at everything. Glad I have a fuge and all that macroalgae for pods to hide in. He's already taken out a number of snails as well.

 

when you're ready... i have a RED one. that one's brown

 

 

now I won't be able to sleep...

[c est ma]

I just love to find a bunch of new pics!! Wow, I don't think you have much left to learn re the camera.

 

Gee, but the aip on that macro was situated so nicely--like the topping of a little Xmas tree!

 

And I really like the "artsy" shot!

 

Thanks for the answers to my previous questions...

 

--Diane

[arwndsh]

when you're ready... i have a RED one. that one's brown

 

Can I has one? please!! Your stealin all his attention from me, I need something to get it back. see he said he can't sleep.

 

jk

 

 

now I won't be able to sleep...

 

Daniel, can I have more pictures please? I know the batteries have to be charged.

[dshnarw]

I just love to find a bunch of new pics!! Wow, I don't think you have much left to learn re the camera.

 

Gee, but the aip on that macro was situated so nicely--like the topping of a little Xmas tree!

 

And I really like the "artsy" shot!

 

Thanks for the answers to my previous questions...

 

--Diane

 

Camera is definitely doing a good job of hiding my photog-noobness I'm still trying to fully understand aperture settings and similar subjects that I've never worried about before.

 

Stupid aip...he lives. Just smaller, with a hole in his side and coming out between different branches in the macro Will try again tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway...in a stroke of luck (aka "knocking over a rock onto the brain coral"), I found the money cowry hanging out in the shadows. So, as I haven't seen him since early January, I put him in the sand and used all the space on my empty 1GB card to take photos. He's now clamped to the side of the clam, so I can still see him (SO EXCITING!!!). I have about a 5-10 second time lapse series of shots of him moving in circles until he found the clam

 

So, tonight's shots are nothing but the money cowry...just a few of my favorites. Sorry for the dirty glass, you tend not to take up precious time cleaning the glass and waiting for the detritus to clear when trying to photograph such illusive creatures